Hydrogen train faces economic viability challenge

With hydrogen powered train set to debut on Indian Railways network soon, expert say it is financially unviable and technically challenging to run hydrogen fuel cell trains.

As a pilot, the hydrogen train is set to debut on the Jind-Sonipat section by retrofitting Hydrogen Fuel cells on the existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU). The cost of the train along with ground infrastructure is Rs 111 crore and is slated for launch by May this year. The cost is similar to that of a 16-coach Vande Bharat train.    

The development of 35 hydrogen fuel cell-based trains for various heritage/hill routes was included in Budget 2023-24 at a cost of Rs 2800 crore.  Further, setting up of Hydrogen Infrastructure for heritage routes has also been included at a cost of Rs 600 crore. 

Experts wonder the high cost associated with the entire hydrogen train project and that railways have achieved 100% electrification of all 70,000 route kms of broad-gauge network except for mountain trains which are retained for tourism/heritage purposes.

According to Indian Railways estimates, the initial running cost of a Hydrogen fuel train set will be higher which will subsequently reduce with an increase in the number of trains.

“Green hydrogen is expensive and lowering costs is essential to make it competitive with diesel or electrification. Particularly in the case of IR where one can feed renewable-based electricity directly to overhead electrical equipment via grid at the point of generation, there is no point in generating hydrogen and distributing it all over,” says Lalit Chandra Trivedi, former Indian Railways General Manager.

Railways aim to have hydrogen trains is part of its larger vision to cut down on carbon emissions and transition to clean sources of energy.

Trivedi says that running a train system requires carrying some fuel on board a locomotive and further refuelling is done at multiple points located judiciously along the length and breadth of the network.

“So, we need to carry liquid green hydrogen on board a locomotive and arrange to transport and distribute at multiple point storage points across the rail network. A minimum of 50 such hydrogen refueling points will be needed to serve every km of the network. The requirement for high-pressure tanks or cryogenic storage increases complexity and weight on trains, potentially reducing cargo or passenger capacity,” he adds.

While green hydrogen is seen as a futuristic source of energy in energy-intensive sectors, the cost of production and availability of water for electrolysis are seen as key challenges.